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Blend of Unusual Weather Brings Trillions of Gallons of Rain to Northwest (Maria)

The author writes, “Warm water and air and unusual weather conditions tracing back as far as tropical cyclone flooding in Indonesia helped supercharge stubborn atmospheric rivers that have drenched Washington State with almost 5 trillion gallons of rain in the past seven days, threatening record flood levels, meteorologists said. … In a world made warmer by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, atmospheric river storms will be bigger and wetter, according to studies, computer models and meteorologists.”

Insiders Reveal Trump May Axe ICE Barbie Over Secret Romance (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “For Kristi Noem, the price of love may be her job. Donald Trump is reportedly considering firing his Homeland Security secretary over the problematic employment of her alleged loverboy, Corey Lewandowski. … Three former DHS officials told the outlet that the president’s top advisers are increasingly frustrated with Noem’s problematic — and married — partner, and that for that reason alone, she may soon be shown the door. … The officials said Trump may act in January, when Democrat Abigail Spanberger succeeds Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whom advisers are now quietly floating as a potential replacement for Noem.”

Maine Was First To Ban Spreading PFAS-Contaminated Sludge on Farmland. Now Sludge Is Filling up Landfills. (Laura)

From Inside Climate News: “Three years ago, Maine was the first state in the nation to recognize the risks of PFAS — manmade chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other dire health problems — by outlawing the use of sewage sludge on farmland. But PFAS, testing showed, had already seeped into drinking-water wells and crop roots, tainting vegetables, beef and milk.”

6 Big Questions About Iran’s Water Crisis and Tehran’s Day Zero (Sean)

From Forbes: “Tehran, a metropolis of over 15 million people, is now regularly mentioned as a city that is nearing its ‘Day Zero’ — the moment when a city’s taps run dry. This is not unprecedented for a major city. All cities that have recently faced Day Zero, such as Cape Town (South Africa), Chennai (India), São Paulo (Brazil), Mexico City (Mexico), and Bogotá (Colombia), have a combination of climatic and decision-making drivers to blame. But each of them has some unique aspects that have stories to be told.”

‘Already Had a Profound Effect’: Parents React To Australia’s Social Media Ban (Siobhán)

From The Guardian: “When Australia’s social media ban came into effect on Wednesday, millions of under-16s lost access to their accounts and were prevented from creating new ones. Guardian Australia has spent the past year reporting on the ban, how it will be implemented and potential unintended consequences. But we wanted to know how it is affecting parents, children and families now it has come into effect. Is it a force for good or a terrible policy mistake? So we asked Guardian readers to tell us, and more than 100 of you replied. Here, 20 people share how the ban has affected them, their children and their families.” 

25 Majestic Images From Landscape Photographer of the Year 2025 (Dana)

The author writes, “The Landscape Photographer of the Year celebrates the best landscape photography from around the world. Here are all the winners and some of our favorite shortlisted images from this year’s awards.”